Alaska state lawmakers convene this afternoon for a 30-day special session to debate the long-term future of the Permanent Fund dividend. Legislators will be debating a spending cap as well as new revenues and a proposal to put a dividend formula into the state’s Constitution.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy spoke to Alaska’s News Source on what to expect:
“What we were asked to do by many in the legislature several months ago was to put forth or come up with some ideas regarding revenues for them to take a look at. We’ve come up with a whole host of revenue measures to look at. Many of these have been looked at in years past. We have just done a little research for the legislature, but my position is that I’m not going to be agreeing to revenue measures unless it’s accompanied by a spending limit, a constitutional spending limit.”
There were several new revenue ideas for state lawmakers to consider during this special session that deals with long-term financial issues. One idea includes a four-percent sales tax. The Alaska Department of Revenue also suggested expanding legalized gaming, and taxing privately-owned oil and gas companies at the same rate as major producers.
Dunleavy said:
“We’ve been talking with some of the legislature and legislators and that coupled with the fact that they formed a working group at the end of the last session, it does give us some hope. Nonetheless, we have to make decisions during this special session with regard to the permanent fund and PFD. As you know, we’ve introduced bills that would make the permanent fund truly permanent as well as make the PFD part of the constitution so that there’s a guaranteed dividend for this generation and generations to come. We’ll see what happens. We’re going to be having some heavy-duty conversations with legislators and, again, we have to be hopeful that we’ll come to some resolution.”
The session is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, which you can watch on Gavel Alaska.
Transcribed audio courtesy of Alaska’s News Source.